Owing to a quirk in the rules so outmoded it has been abolished, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was not allowed to play a single minute of Europa League football last season after his mid-season move from Borussia Dortmund to Arsenal. They needed him then but he needed the Europa League now. The striker has been in indifferent form so far, but a run-out against Vorskla Poltava gave him all the time and space he needed to get his mojo back. The Europa League holds a special place in Unai Emery’s heart given he has won it twice, and although the path to the final is a long stretch, the Arsenal manager took this opening group game seriously enough to pick a strong team against a side fifth in...
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